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GTA Jim

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Hi guys,
I've just joined up and I'm looking for some advice.
I currently use a Sony 7.1 MP point and squirt compact camera, it does a decent job but I'm now wanting to move on to a DSLR.
My budget is £400 and I will be buying new.
I've been looking at the Nikon D60 and I've also read that the Sony alpha 200 is a good bit of kit for the money.
I am a total novice so something that is easy to learn with is quite important!
Any input gratefully recieved :)
Jim
 
Nikon D40's are excellent. It has everything you need for a beginner. Yes it is only 6.1mp but that is capeable of A4 prints, but the ISO quality is brilliant, the picture quality is brilliant and they just feel great in your hands. You can pick up a D40 body for £200 and with the remainder you could buy yourself a nice lens. Argos do the D40 with an 18-55mm Nikkor lens for £250, but you may want a better zoom than 18-55mm so the other option is to buy the 18-135mm Nikkor lens instead, which is about £225 (I am selling mine for about £160 at the moment, only 6 months old).

There is only one feature I miss on the D40 and that is 3 shot exposure bracketing for merging HDR shots. You can do it manually but it is less acurate and takes longer. Being a beginner I doubt you will even use exposure bracketing and I am sure most people here will tell you they never use it because HDR pictures are like marmite ~ you either love them or hate them.
 
Welcome to TP!! :wave:

Firstly, this question has been asked soooo many times!!

Secondly, buy the Sony!! It's the better DSLR for beginners IMO, no matter which lens you use on it, you will have auto focus (AF) and image stabilisation (IS) as both these features are built into the body of the Sony, whereas, with the Nikon, these features are only avaliable in certain lenses.

Some people will disagree (obviously!) but IS and AF are important features for a beginner (like me).

Thirdly, go and handle the cameras in a shop. Find out which one is comfortable for you to hold. Look at the layout of the buttons etc and see how easy it is for you to reach them all when holding the camera!! When I did this in a local store the Sony just felt "right" when I picked it up, whereas the Nikon and Canon didn't!

Good luck with your search!!(y)
 
Hi Jim,

I'm in pretty much the same position in that I am trying to pick my first DSLR - I'm currently using a bridge camera though which I think has probably prepared me quite well.

This is a bit hypocritical as I have been procrastinating about which camera to buy for an age but I honestly think all the entry level DSLR's do a good job and you will probably be happy with whichever you choose. Personal preferance re the handling is an important factor so I would get yourself to a shop and have a play with a few of your options - this ruled Sony out for me as I found them too big for my tiny hands.

Other issue is that you are buying into a system so try to think a year down the line - what kind of shots do you want to dabble in? What are the lens options / prices like for each system. This ruled another out for me - decided that Olympus lenses are just too expensive.

Also don't forget the accessories - you'll need a bag, memory, probably a tripod at some stage, and of course you'll want to build up a collection of lenses. I say make a pro's / con's list to narrow the choice down, work out the prices for camera plus essential accessories, and then go to a shop to see what they all feel like. Good luck!!
 
any of the entry level cameras would do, each have their strengths and weaknesses:

sony/olympus/four thirds format cameras have issues with high iso due to the tiny sensor - also the upgrade path is limited

Nikon entry level bodies will not AF many entry level nikon lenses

Canon are the best - kidding - I'm sure theres something wrong but I rate canon entry level kit

I would recommend trying each of the offerings out in the shop before you choose

oh and in body IS doesn't work - at least not in Olympuses
 
Sony actually have a larger sensors than Canons, they are APS-C and NOT 4/3rds.

The Sensor on a Alpha 200 is 23.6x15.8mm, the same size as nikons APS-C sensor, whereas Canon use a 22.2x14.8mm sensor in their base models such as the EOS 1000D.

Im afraid your facts arent actually correct david...

And as the owner of a Alpha 350, the in body IS works fine.

I would recomend Sony alphas, but thats my personal preference.

They are all very similar, with only minor differences on the entry level kit. Think about things like how it feels in your hand, and the number of lenses etc available. Canon and Nikon have more lenses and accesories available, but sony are bringing out more all the time.

With the Sony alphas, you also get wireless flash commander built in should you ahve a compatible Sony flashgun, which is handy... some other makes dont have this.
 
david1701 said:
any of the entry level cameras would do, each have their strengths and weaknesses:

sony/olympus/four thirds format cameras have issues with high iso due to the tiny sensor - also the upgrade path is limited

Nikon entry level bodies will not AF many entry level nikon lenses

Canon are the best - kidding - I'm sure theres something wrong but I rate canon entry level kit

I would recommend trying each of the offerings out in the shop before you choose

oh and in body IS doesn't work - at least not in Olympuses
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David, if you're going to offer advice, please make sure you offer it correctly.

The issues with high ISO are no longer prevalent in the latest Olympus DSLR cameras and will easily match entry level Nikon and Canon gear. You cannot make statements like that, they are totally incorrect.

Also... I have absolutley no idea where you think you are coming from with comments such as in body IS doesn't work in Olympuses. That is total and utter tosh and you need to be corrected. The in body IS is awesome, and you get it in every lens you put on the Oly body.

Quite frankly, you are taling out of your rear. Simple as that. Get educated.
 
I apologise I thought sony were 4/3rds format not aps-c

sorry music man I found the iso and IS in my friends e-420 very inferior to my 450d and 18-55 IS, he was the one that told me in body IS doesn't work. And iso 800 on it is so dammed grainy it's almost unusable (and it is entry level oly - exactly the price range the OP is looking at) there's no standard fast glass available the 25mm pancake is f2.8 and costs the same as a canon 50mm f1.4 2 stops faster
 
david1701 said:
I apologise I thought sony were 4/3rds format not aps-c

sorry music man I found the iso and IS in my friends e-420 very inferior to my 450d and 18-55 IS, he was the one that told me in body IS doesn't work. And iso 800 on it is so dammed grainy it's almost unusable (and it is entry level oly - exactly the price range the OP is looking at) there's no standard fast glass available the 25mm pancake is f2.8 and costs the same as a canon 50mm f1.4 2 stops faster
Click to expand...
Sure, thanks, very nice of ya.(y)

You will find that the kit lenses supplied with Oly e-series cameras are amongst the best kit lenses out there, and there's no real need for a new user to purchase any additional lenses for some time. With the double lens kit you get 14-42mm and 4 40-150mm lenes, both optically excellent and quite capable.

The in body IS is quite simply, fantastic, and Id suggest it was more your friend not being able to use it rather than it being a poor performer. Not sure what Oly claim for the 420, but on my E-3 I can get up to an additional 5 stops. I can handhold my 50-500 at the 500 end, and have some shots on my gallery with my 11-22mm where the shutter speed is close to 1 second.

No tripods were used in the making of this post :)
 
Some points regarding the purchase:

Use your local retailer or online retailer if your are purchasing new.

However, purchase mint examples on the classified for sale - normally, about 30% cheaper and have only had light use.

Think about the resale issues when you want to upgrade. Canon and Nikon appear to "move" faster from the classified than other makes - there is also a wider selection of these makes.

John
 
Among best value for money there is Pentax, with spectacular prime lenses
 
For an extra £30 at Jessops you can get the sony a300. It has a tilting lcd screen and live view. For a first dslr having live view helps loads as your not use to not having this feature.
 
I can't help but suggest Canon. I love them. All my friends use Canon's, as do my mum and girlfriend.

The 400D is about £230 second hand if you look properly. That leaves £170 for a zoom lens, a tripod, a memory card and so on. It's the way to go. A new 450D is about £470 but you'd still need to spend money on other thing like a bag, remote and the other things I listed...
 
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